Traditional Indian Christmas Sweets: Dig into Nevri: A must-try festive delight during this Christmas season

A close relative of the North Indian Gujiya and the Maharashtrian Karanji, Nevri is a typical Goan sweetmeat.

Ho! Ho! Ho! It’s that time of the year when people in India get ready to celebrate one of the most eagerly awaited holidays — Christmas, and how! The delightful aroma of baked goods filling bakeries tempts us all to make this holiday season even more joyous. With so many options for traditional Indian Christmas sweets, now is the perfect time to make some dietary adjustments! However, enjoying life's little pleasures is the essence of the Christmas season, and dessert is one of the best things ever. While plum cake takes most of the limelight at this time, it is the lesser known yet equally delectable traditional Indian Christmas sweets like Nevri that are worth giving a try.

So, what is Nevri exactly, you ask? Well, for those who are unaware, Nevri is a typical Goan sweetmeat that is closely related to both the North Indian Gujiya and the Maharashtrian Karanji. In the area, the half-moon-shaped dish is mostly made for holidays like Christmas, Diwali, and Ganesh Chaturthi. Also referred to as "neureos" or "neurios," this deep-fried treat has a different filling than other varieties. So, when Gujiya and Karanji are already there, what was the need to come up with another version of this appetizing sweet? The need was to develop a new flavor replete with coastal undertones thanks to a crunchy coconut filling inside Nevri. In other words, while khoya/mawa and dried fruits are typically used to stuff Gujiya and Karanji, the Nevri filling is packed with a fresh and crispy coconut combination that has been sweetened with jaggery. Nevri's crunchy outside, which is made with whole-wheat flour, nicely contrasts with their soft insides. Because of the hydrating effect of the fresh coconut on the inside, which differs well with the crunchy texture of the outside layer, they are never too sweet given their flavor and texture. Each bite of the Nevri signifies happiness!

Now, that we’ve given you some insight into the history and culture of it, let’s get our hands down on the ingredients and the recipe. Read on.

Ingredients:

For outer pastry:

• 1 cup of whole wheat flour
• 1½ tablespoons of ghee or oil
• ¼ to ⅓ cup of water or as required
• ¼ tsp of salt

For stuffing:

• 1 tbsp of ghee or oil
• 1 cup of freshly grated coconut
• ½ cup + 2 tbsp of grated jaggery
• ½ tsp of cardamom powder
• 7 to 8 cashews (finely chopped)
• 19 to 20 finely chopped golden raisins, or 1 tbsp of golden raisins
• 1 Bar of Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk (optional)

Directions:

For outer pastry:

• In a bowl, combine 1 cup whole wheat flour and ¼ tsp salt. Put it aside.
• In a small pan or tadka pan, heat 1½ tablespoons of ghee or oil.
• Stir the flour and salt mixture with the heated ghee or oil.
• If using your fingers, just let the ghee or oil cool down to avoid burning them.
• Using your fingertips, gently mix the melted ghee into the flour.
• The texture of the flour ought to resemble breadcrumbs.
• Next, add 1/4 cup of water and start kneading the dough.
• While kneading the dough, add extra water as needed.
• Work the dough until it's smooth.
• The dough shouldn't be too thick or excessively soft.
• Let the dough rest for 10-12 minutes after wrapping it in a moist muslin or cotton cloth.

For stuffing:

• Melt one tablespoon of ghee in a pan.
• Throw in one cup of recently shredded coconut.
• Over low heat, stir and sauté the coconut for two minutes.
• Include the chopped raisins and cashews.
• Add ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons of grated jaggery now.
• Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat for two to three minutes.
• Stir the jaggery well rather than sautéing it for a lengthy period of time.
• Turn off the burner and add a tsp of powdered cardamom.
• Spread the mixture onto a serving platter.
• Permit the blend to reach room temperature.
• You can add shavings of Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk as a modern spin!

For assembly:

• Take the dough cover off and knead it.
• After that, roll it into a log.
• Slice the log into equal halves.
• Gently flatten each piece of dough into an oval or circular form after rolling it between your palms.
• Just make sure there are no cracks in the balls.
• Sprinkle it with some flour.
• Create a circle with a diameter of 4 to 5 inches by rolling the dough.
• In a similar manner, roll each dough ball into a thin, nearly identical-sized circle.
• Water should be brushed onto the Nevri's margins.
• Fill the center or one side of the circle with 1 tbsp or 2 to 3 tsp of filling, leaving the borders vacant.
• Watch out not to overdo things, as this makes it harder to mold the Nevris.
• They could also break while frying.
• Fold in half from one end. Give the edges a good seal.
• Now begin pinching and pleating the pushed edges with your fingertips.
• Make a pleat to gently seal the end. Just make sure the sides are wrapped correctly to prevent them from breaking while frying.
• Create all Nevris in this manner. Cover the prepared Nevris with a damp kitchen towel to prevent the dough from drying out.

For frying:

• In a pan, heat two to three cups of oil.
• Depending on the size of the pan or kadai, deep fried one to two Nevris at a time while the oil is heated.
• As soon as one side turns golden and crunchy, turn it over and continue deep frying the Nevris until they get a golden-brown color.
• To ensure even browning and cooking, flip once or twice.
• To absorb any extra oil, place them on kitchen paper towels or napkins.
• After they reach room temperature, place Nevris in an airtight container to preserve them. Alternately, you might store them in the refrigerator too.
• Goan Nevris can be served warm or at room temperature now.

Hope you have a good time recreating this traditional Christmas recipe just like we did bringing it to you. Merry Christmas!